Avian Flu in Pakistan and Indonesia

by Liz Olson

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In December 2007, in the Peshawar area of Pakistan, the Ministry of Health reported eight suspected cases of H5N1 avian influenza to the World Health Organization. The suspected cases were detected after an outbreak of H5N1 in poultry in the same area. Two of the victims died and one recovered.

Since 2006, there have been multiple H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in Pakistan, the majority occurring in the North-West Frontier Province known as the "poultry belt." In 2007, there have also been several outbreaks of avian flu in wild birds, which were identified in the Islamabad area.

In September 2008, the Ministry of Health of Indonesia reported two new cases of H5N1 avian influenza. The first, a 38-year old male in the Banten Province, was hospitalized on July 9, 2008 and died on July 10, 2008. The other, a 20-year-old male in the Banten Province, was hospitalized on July 29, 2008 and died on July 31. To date, there have been 137 confirmed cases of avian flu in Indonesia, 112 have been fatal.